The Truth Hurts
by tailendwriter
Summary: Tony gets a visit from his friend as a teenagaer, but they thought each other dead. She is know a hostage negotiator named Penelope Johnson and Tony is concerned for her life.
1. Meeting

**Author's Note: This is just a sort of speculation about Tony's past, something to fill the gaps.**

Penelope walks up to McGee and Zeva "uhm, do you know where I could find a special Agent Anthony Denozzio." She pronounces the name wrong. Zeva and McGee exchanged looks because this girl was pretty

Zeva responds, "He's out, but could I take a message?"

Penelope wanted to wait, see hadn't seen him in years. "I'll wait. I came here with a purpose and I need to see it finished. Do you know when he is suppose to come back?"

McGee looked at Zeva, "Zeva, do you know?"

Zeva thought she knew the answer,"Didn't he go to get Gibbs coffee or something?"

Penelope interrupt him, "So he'll be back when. I kind of need to see him. He's not dead is he," that idea entered her head, "cause I didn't come all this way to find out he's dead."

McGee reassured her, "He's not dead."

Tony walked up to McGee, " who's not dead McGeek."

Zeva quickly made him aware of the situation, "Tony, you have a visitor," He gestures toward Penelope.

Tony turned and looks at Penelope , "and you are?"

Penelope face was filled with releif. "I don't know how to say this," she whispered, "but you'll alive."

Tony was confused, "of course I'm alive. And you are?"

Penelope apoligized, "I'm sorry I haven't seen you if twenty years, Wow, you've changed. I'm here to think you for saving my life. " She smiled and subconciously rubbed her wrists.

Tony was puzzled, "I didn't save anybody's life, and I was a teenager twenty years ago. What?"

Penelope realized he didn't get that, "you probably don't remember me, but I'm Penelope Johnson, or course you probably know me as Izzy Stark."

Tony was getting mad, "What? This has to be some prank. Of course, who would know?" His head was wondering through possible options.

Penelope apologized, again, "Sorry, I thought they killed you, but you probably thought I was dead. They told me you were dead. Of course the whole name change thing didn't help."

Zeva wasn't following, "Excuse me, Tony, who is this?" She asked..

Tony turned to Zeva. "This is my best friend as a teen, until well, the incident." Saddness filled his face.

"Huh," McGee asked

A pager goes off and Penelope looks down Penelope answered it, "excuse me." She dials a number "What is it now?" She was irritated.

She pause when listening how do you let … yes I understand that, but I thought you were…. I was suppose to have today… Now, do you even know who it was… I'll see you soon, but tell me how on earth did you let someone kidnap someone in his position… I don't care if they did… procedure is there for a reason… alright fine. " She hangs up phone and turns to Tony.

Penelope apologizes again, "sorry I have to go," while handing him a card. "I'd love to meet again, but it sort of is up to you. And just a quick warning you'll going to have a lot of chaos in a couple of minutes, so enjoy the peace well it lasts. I'll try to resolve it as soon as possible."

Tony was now confused, "what?" Penelope walked away to the elevator. As she steps in .Gibbs come out., Tony spoke to Penelope again, "what are you talking about?"

Penelope smiled as answered, "You will find out soon enough. I really have to go." The doors closed behind him.

Gibbsn asked, "Did I miss something?"

"I was thinking the same thing." Zeva responded.

Tony answered that, "oh, that. I'm not exactly sure."

Zeva was irritated, "What do you mean I'm not exactly sure?"

"What does it sound like to you, " Tony teased, musing, "I wonder if she stills remembers the language?"

McGee was curious, "What language?"

"Sorry, I was just thinking." He turns over card still in his hand and sees a number on the back He smiled ",Penelope Johnson who would have thought."

The phone rings and Gibbs answers it, "Hello, yeah, we'll be right there."

"What happened?" They all asked.

Gibbs was extremely serious, "the secretary of defense has just been kidnapped."

"By?" McGee asked.

"Not sure yet, but we're going to find out."

Tony was way puzzled "But, how did Izzy know and what did she mean by resolving it as soon as possible?" He mussed.

"Did I miss something?" Gibbs asked again.

Zeva interupted, "Someday came here a few minutes ago, you saw her as she stepped in the elevator. Her name is Penelope."

Tony explained, "Her real name is Isabel Stark, now know as Penelope Johnson. I still getting over the shock she is alive."

McGee asked, "what does this have to do anything?"

Tony admitted, "I don't know. I wonder who she was talking to, what on earth has she been up to?"

McGee is typing into a computer. "Penelope Johnson., hostage negotiator, more of a freelancer. Been at it for two years. Not much before that".

Gibbs asked for more, "can't you run her prints against other or something. I mean there has to be something.".

McGee noticed something, "This is interested. All her references for the jobs were United States Marshals."

"Witness protection, of course, she didn't leave because she didn't want to see me again she left because she had. That bastard. I'll kill him for what he did." Tony almost yelled.

"Excuse me?" Gibbs asked.


	2. Relaxation?

Izzy/Penelope's Point Of View

I drove slowly down the interstate, where our base was set up. When Tyler had called me to tell me in his words "get your but over here, we need you.", I was irritated. Ty might be one of my favorite team members, but still I was sort of taking a break. I hadn't seen Anthony for years. The relief I felt knowing he was alive was all these years, I don't know how, but I had somehow got it in my head he was dead. Though all through the time, I remember thinking To will find me. That's why I pressed on, that's how he saved my life. I read up on what he has been up to before I went and meet him. I had to make sure before I made a complete fool of myself.

I drove into the building we had been using as our base. It was close enough to monitor, plus when we got word that there might have been an attempt at someone, we were sent out. We sort of had a reputation to going into every situation. I wallked up the door and took the elevator to the third floor room we were using. Ty had all his electronic equipment spread out and he was sitting at it. Haley, our demolitions expert among other things, was sitting looking over a file. Then there was Ed, of course we called him Ice, but there was more to it then the face of ice that was pretty much unreadable. "Hey, guys." they turned.

"What took you so long." Haley almost yelled into my ear.

"Look, I had some personal business to take care of plus I thought you guys would appreciate me picking up some food and coffee, seeing as we will probably be here awhile."

"Then where is it?" Ed asked.

"It's in the car Ice, just be careful. It's a rental." Ice ran off as I threw him the keys. "So what did I miss."

Sarcastically Tyler answered, "Nothing big, just having the Secretary of Defense being kidnapped." I could tell he was teasing.

"Well, do you got anything?"

"Besides a picture, not much."

"Picture, did you try running it?"

"What do you think I am stupid. I'm not a four year old." I turned and saw that one of his monitors were running something.

First order of bussiness, "Any demands,"

"Not yet."

"Well, you probably get something soon. Someone is defiantly going to take credit for this. You don't just kidnap somebody and think it threw without wanting nothing at all."

"Yeah," Haley smiled, "somebody heard, it could be nothing, but someone called a bomb threat at one of leading defesnse manufactor's office, It could be a copycat."

"That's exactly what we need. Hopefully the press doesn't get word too soon. Who's heading the investigation? I know there is the whole "we don't negotiate with terrorists," but come on, we know something is coming. We need to find out who this guy is."

"NCIS, he was a marine."

"And I just came from there, I could have car pooled with them."

"Really." Ty asked.

"Don't give me that." I glared at him, "I know you have a tracking device in my phone."

Ice came in interupting or little conversation., "Anybody want some coffee?"

Ty and Haley automatically jumped up. Ty had to have his coffee, but not as bad as Ice. Not by along shot. "Anybody got an idea?" I opened up the discussion for ideas once the whole team was there. Hey, we didn't sound like much, but look at our record, we had never lost a hostage, let alone someone we were sent to protect from a bomb or anything like that. We actually were good at what we did. Not that we looked like it, but we had a casual dress code. The only reason I was dressed up was because my meeting with Tony and I knew I wouldn't hear the end of it. Sometimes, theses guys were more kids then adults

I laughed. Ice interupted me, "So, who is this Tony Dinozzo, guy. Your boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend and shouldn't we stay focused."

"Yeah," Haley came to my rescue, "you know Pen doesn't date."

I nodded in agreement before Ty interupted. "Yeah, yeah, on to the case. I'm not letting this go."

"I know, " I shrugged. I grabbed my coffee and took a sip. "Ty, Haley?"

Ty answered, "This isn't just you regular hit. This had to be planned, calculated. He wants something, and I don't think it is just the attention everyone will give him. Though how he did it tells you he wants control. We better be careul or he might jump the gun too early."

Haley continued, "our best bet is idenitfying this guy. Once we have some idea what his brain is like, we have a better idea of dealing with them."

"I agree, does anybody recognize him."

"He's not on our watch list, not easy to figure out."

"Let me see." Ty turned the screen toward me. I knew that face, but I'm not sure from where, "I know that face." I whispered. "No idea where, but I know it."

Ice looked at me, "Really?"

"Yeah, I'm sure I do. Let me think. Ice, hand me a sandwich." Ice handed me a sandwich.

"Now what?" Ice asked.

"Not sure. We should find out what NCIS knows." As if on cue there was a knock on the door.


	3. Ice

Tony's Point of View

Gibbs knocked on the door. I heard a muffled voice that was like, "Ice, could you get that," but I wasn't that sure. A few seconds later the door opened, Gibbs and me were staring at a casually dressed man with an unreadable face.

The man reached out his hand, "I'm Edward Taylor, but most people just call me Ed, you guys must be the guys from NCIS."

Gibbs didn't shake the man's hand, but I just shook it and followed Gibbs into the room There was three people sitting down in the room. They all seemed a little bit distracted, Izzy looked up at me, "Oh, hi To. May I introduce Haley," she gestured to the female with a file on her lap , "and Tyler." The guy was gazing over some screens before him. He was worse then McGee.

Gibbs looked at Izzy, "I'm Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs and it seems you already meet Special Agent Anthony Dinnozzo." When Gibbs said that they all looked and turned at me. Then everyone looked at Izzy.

Izzy looked at me, "do you want to explain in To, though I think we should stay focused on the case." The man who answered the door laughed ,"shut up Ice." She yelled at him.

I looked at the display of computers, "this would make McGee jealous." I accidently said it out loud.

Izzy laughed and then Gibbs interupted, "So who are we dealing with?"

"We're not sure." the girl, Haley admitted. Though quickly she added, "Penelope said she recognized that face though. She can't place it."

"You guys have a picture."

"Yeah, we got one. Ty is scanning it know." Ed interupted.

Gibbs was mad and I could tell I waited for him to blow up, "you got a picture, why didn't you send it to us. I mean come on."

Tyler interupted, "We are running it now and we just figured out who we were working with. I was just going to send it to you guys when you guys got her." He pushed a couple buttons then turned back to Gibbs, "there it is sent. Your special agent McGee is it should get it momentarily."

Gibbs was suspiscious, "and how do you know his name."

Izzy came in, "Ty, I knew you tracked my phone, that is how you knew where I was you did background on everyone on his team didn't you." She accused him.

"What!" Gibbs exclaimed.

Izzy came in, "I mentioned to them before I left this morning that I was going to see Anthony Dinnozzo, he" glaring at Tyler again, "must have done background, Sorry, he's extremely nosy."

"And why were you going to see Special Agent Anthony Dinnozzo?" I had some idea, but I kept my mouth shut, I wanted to hear her reasoning.

"Yeah, why were you?" Ed interupted.

She brushed the question off, "it has nothing to do with this case, let's get focused or am I going to have to make you guys be quiet myself."

"Okay." Gibbs took that surprisingly well.

"Hey," Tyler interupted, "Pen, we got the voice back. I configured the footage and listen to this. Don't worry Special Agent Gibbs I'll send it over to your office." He played the voice back. Izzy flinched before saying something.

She made a barely audible voice, "I know who it is." There was fear covering her voice.


	4. confessions

Izzy/ Penelope POV

I froze when I heard the voice. This couldn't be happening to me. "I know who it is." I said. "I can't do this." Before they could react, atleast have a reaction that would impact it, I sprinted outside the room and outside the building. I really needed some air. They probably would send someone after me, but I didn't care. I needed some air and to clear my head.

I walked a couple blocks. There was a park and I went to sit on a bench. I took in the silence and let go a deep breath. How was I suppose to tell the team. Ice would probably kill me for keeping the secret from them, after making sure I was okay of course. Of course there was that time. I quickly dismissed it out of my head. The park was unusually quiet and empty, so I heard the footsteps coming toward me.

Afraiding the worse, but knowing I had to do it sometime, I looked up. What I saw surprised me. Ice and Tony were walking toward me together. One sat on either side of me. "What's wrong?" Ice asked.

I shook my head not wanting to answer. Who would want to? Telling some one that I was lying to them for the time I knew them wasn't easy. It never was. He tried to hug me, but I backed away ashamed.

Tony was more direct, "It's him isn't it." I knew exactly what he was talking about. I nodded my head slowly, full of shame. It had been over twently years, yet I couldn't face it. Who ever said time heals all wounds hadn't meet me.

"What?" Ice asked. "Who is it?" Tony didn't answer he just stood me up and walked away. Ice was following confused. I knew Tony wasn't going to say anything, so I had to.

While Tony had a hand on my shoulder, I turned and looked at Ice, choking on the words, "it's the man who kidnapped me, when I was young." I didn't elaborate, just went on Ice just followed along, being wise not to say anything. It's not that I didn't trust Ice, or that I trusted Tony more, but he wasn't exactly going to have to help me face it.

After about a block Tony continued, "when I was sixteen my bestfriend and me went out into the woods. We had a hideout and everything," Tony was fighting back tears, "while walking back from the treehouse, less then thirty yards from my car, a man came out and kidnapped my best friend. I tried to fight back, but I became unconcious. He took her and I never saw her again, I had no idea what happened." By the end of Tony's narrative we were back at the base, Haley ran up and hugged me. Gibbs just stood there and Tony nodded to him without saying a word. He slowly walked back to his boss and put me leaning on Ice's shoulder.

Even though most people couldn't see through Ice's emotion blocks, I could he was somewhere between shocked and mad. Hopefully he wasn't mad at me. Tony whispered something to Gibbs, who just nodded. Then he turned to me, "you must be tired being up for over twenty four hours, you should get some sleep."

How did he know that? I thought it through, Ice. I glared at him making him laugh though I stayed on his shoulder. "I'm fine." I lied. I liked it there.

Ice interceded, "Yes, you are. You are going to bed."

Knowing this wasn't a battle I was going to win, I nodded following him upstairs. The others followed behind. I slipped into the bedroom and layed down. Not even changing. I was too tired. Ice had come in and shut the door behind him. I was laying down and barely notice probably because I was half asleep. He leaned down and kissed me on the forehead, Then he whispered in my ear, "I love you, I won't let anyone hurt you." I drifted to sleep. I was so happy I didn't snore.


	5. Explanations

Tony's Point of View

I looked at Gibbs for aproval. He I looked at the group, everyone minus Izzy, she was asleep. I explained it. Atleast the part that I knew, Izzy would have to fill in the gaps, if she could face them that is. "You might not know this, but when Izzy, I mean Penelope was sixteen she was kidnapped. I don't know for how long, I really wasn't told anything. I just found out she was alive today. The same man who kidnapped Penelope kidnapped the Secretary of Defense." I said this without pausing of thinking, in one tone.

I watched the reaction, the Tyler dude and the Haley chick were surprised, Ice or Ed or whatever he was called had already heard, so he would, or atleast I think he would be mad, but he hid his emotions behind a well placed mask. That mask I figured few could actually break. Gibbs was the first to say anything, because I was had worked with him for so long, I knew his world famous gut was telling him something, "what was she known my then, her full name, I remember you mention something about witness protection or something of that nature."

"Izzy Stark." I answered instinctively.

"That name sounds familar," Haley answered.

"It should." I almost barked at her, but carefully refrained myself from do so, " for how many weeks was it on the news."

"Do you know any details about what actually happened?" Haley asked.

"No idea, I thought she was dead the whole time. It really should have been me."

"No it shouldn't have Dinozzio. You know you can't change the past."


End file.
